what’s in a product that you use on your skin every day, especially since our skin is our largest organ, and because the U.S. is behind the rest of the world in ingredient safety regulation.

That’s why we provide ingredient transparency and have always held our product formulas to a higher standard. Not only do we provide an Ingredient Dictionary to look up every ingredient in every Apriori Beauty product, we also created a safety rating system — The OPN Ingredient Safety Rating — based on the safety and efficacy of all raw materials used in our products, so you can make an informed decision that you can look and feel good about.

Our product formulas are also compliant under the guidelines of the EU Cosmetics Directive — the legislative basis for the manufacture of cosmetic products in the European Union. This directive is globally recognized as having the most stringent safety guidelines for producers of cosmetic products, and is the basis for Apriori Beauty’s self-regulation here in the U.S., where guidelines are less stringent.

Apriori Beauty was also one of the original signers of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2011, and named a “Champion Company” for meeting the goals of the compact. More than 1,500 companies signed the compact, only 321 were named Champions for meeting its goals!

Apriori Beauty’s products are made with a combination of OPN — Organic, Performance and Natural ingredients. The OPN Ingredient Safety Rating provides insight into the safety and efficacy of each raw material used in our skincare formulations. This rating is based on ingredient safety and toxicology databases provided by consumer coalition groups, the natural/whole foods market, the EU Directive and US and California industry regulatory bodies.

Based on the ratings and information provided by the databases from the below groups, every Apriori Beauty product ingredient is evaluated and receives its own rating. The individual rating for each product is the average of those ratings and translates as follows:

0-2:

No to extremely low hazard

3-5:

Low to moderate hazard, no toxicity with limitations

6-8:

Limitations within safe guidelines

Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety DatabaseSkin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group. Skin Deep pairs ingredients against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.

Whole Foods Premium Body Care StandardsA raw material database created by the whole food market for personal care products that helps eliminate the confusion around the definition of "natural." This database identifies more than 250 ingredients unacceptable for premium personal care products in the "natural" market.

Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) thoroughly reviews and assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics in an open, unbiased, and expert manner, and publishes the results in peer-reviewed scientific literature. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review was established in 1976 by the industry trade association (then the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, now the Personal Care Products Council), with the support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. Although funded by the Council, CIR and the review process are independent from the Council and the cosmetics industry.

Environmental Working GroupThe mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG specializes in providing useful resources to consumers seeking safety information.

Personal Care Products CouncilFormally the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA), the Personal Care Products Council's mission remains stronger than ever: "To enable our members to continue to develop and sell the safe, quality and innovative cosmetic and personal care products that help consumers live better, healthier lives. We will continue to offer quality services, products and information on scientific, regulatory and legislative developments in our industry."

California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005This act sets consumer safety guidelines and requires any California manufacturer or product distributor to report any cosmetic product, as defined by the FDA, that includes any known toxic or potential carcinogenic ingredient from their list of 783 chemicals known for potential hazards. The authoritative bodies used as sources in creating this list include: